The Disability of Loneliness

June 18, 2012
By
The Zendeh Del Law Firm, PLLC

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When we think of someone with a disability, we often assume that they were involved in a traumatic accident that altered their ability to function, or that the person was born with a debilitating condition. However, more studies are showing that disability, especially in the elderly, can also be the result of loneliness. Living alone or simply even feeling unloved and isolated can cause a serious decline in a person’s health, a decline that can even go so far as to cause disability. In the Archives of Internal Medicine, scientists and physicians determined that friends and family have a positive or negative reaction on how one lives his or her life.

In one study, about 45,000 adults aged 45 or older claimed that they had heart disease. 19 percent of them said that they lived alone. The people who lived on their own were more likely to die within the four years of the study than those who loved surrounded by loved ones. The phenomenon transcended countries, as it was conducted in 44 different locations around the world with the same results. According to the study, people who are 45-65 and are living all alone are 24 percent more likely to die than those who live with spouses or roommates.

Web MD reports that 45 percent of all the participants in one survey said that they have felt lonely at some point or another, and 23 percent of these people perished not long after. Loneliness also caused people to slowly develop disabilities as they grew older. Many of the lonely elderly people ended up having difficulty walking, bathing, eating, or dressing. If your loved one is suffering from disabilities because of loneliness, try hard to make an effort to be there for that person. Also, apply for Social Security Disability benefits and help that person to set up a comfortable lifestyle despite impairments that he or she might have developed. If you have challenges obtaining those benefits, then contact a lawyer at our firm. We will work hard for you and make an effort to give you the money that you deserve.

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